Boring Boring Santos

It didn’t matter whether Santos FC picked up the full 6 points against Tranmere and Underdogz United. It didn’t even matter that Santos sit in second place after 3 games. No, what fans saw, was a completely different team to the one a season ago.

Manager Sean7’s words have come to fruition when he declared that a change in their style would be needed. Too many times had Santos suffered from inconsistent play from both sides of the ball. One season their offence was invincible, yet defence invisible. The reverse happened in the second season, with the offence stagnating. A change in personnel would be needed to keep with the ever-changing scope of the RM Invitational.

The past two results have confirmed this. The 1-0 win at Prenton Park was reminiscent of George Graham’s Arsenal, with fans half-heartedly declaring ‘1-0 to the Arse’. Midfield general Panu Sarapää scored the lone goal in the 35th minute, a powerful header past the outstretched arms of Gunvald Sjölund. The second half, the squad was content with keeping possession, daring the opposition to get the ball from them. At the final whistle, the away fans, while pleased with the win, were still coming to grips with this change.

The next game, hosting Underdogz United, Santos reverted back to their old self in the first half, peppering the opposition goal with 6 shots, yet only 1 goal to account for it through a penalty by Rogério França. Robbie Mitchell put the game away in the 69th minute with a tidy finish from a corner. Nonetheless, Santos were again content with playing possession until the final whistle. The once vibrant Estádio do Deus seemed to resemble Riverside Stadium on a December afternoon. Even Santos legend Sonny Ozzinho commented that this was a different team than which he played in.

‘They are much stronger on the ball, more fierce, and challenge well in the midfield. The last couple of games I’ve seen from them, they run the opposition right out of the park. The tenacity and desire to win the ball, is something that cannot be under-estimated. I feel that is the real reason to their success in the early going.’

Nonetheless, there have been quiet rumblings throughout the fan base that they are turning into long-ball team. With many of their goals coming from set pieces, not open-play, the fans haven’t been as enthusiastic with their support of the change. Sean7 understands their concerns, albeit with puzzling analogies.

“If you eat caviar every day, it's difficult to return to sausages. However, I hope the fans understand that our approach will vary game-to-game. With a stronger league comes the need to form contingencies in the event our game plan falters. Our home advantage is one of the best in the league: there is no one else that has better fans as our club. And that is why we need full support from the fans. A football team is like a beautiful woman. When you do not tell her, she forgets she is beautiful.”

At this point, a glint came into the gaffer’s eye, and he walked away indifferently, a bemused smirk forming from his lips.

Strength, flamboyance, pragmatic…add enigmatic to Santos vocabulary.